Search Results
Calorimetric evidence for two phase transitions in Ba1−xKxFe2As2 with fermion pairing and quadrupling states
2023, Shipulin, Ilya, Stegani, Nadia, Maccari, Ilaria, Kihou, Kunihiro, Lee, Chul-Ho, Hu, Quanxin, Zheng, Yu, Yang, Fazhi, Li, Yongwei, Yim, Chi-Ming, Hühne, Ruben, Klauss, Hans-Henning, Putti, Marina, Caglieris, Federico, Babaev, Egor, Grinenko, Vadim
Materials that break multiple symmetries allow the formation of four-fermion condensates above the superconducting critical temperature (T c). Such states can be stabilized by phase fluctuations. Recently, a fermionic quadrupling condensate that breaks the Z 2 time-reversal symmetry was reported in Ba1−xKxFe2As2. A phase transition to the new state of matter should be accompanied by a specific heat anomaly at the critical temperature where Z 2 time-reversal symmetry is broken (TcZ2>Tc). Here, we report on detecting two anomalies in the specific heat of Ba1−xKxFe2As2 at zero magnetic field. The anomaly at the higher temperature is accompanied by the appearance of a spontaneous Nernst effect, indicating the breakdown of Z 2 symmetry. The second anomaly at the lower temperature coincides with the transition to a zero-resistance state, indicating the onset of superconductivity. Our data provide the first example of the appearance of a specific heat anomaly above the superconducting phase transition associated with the broken time-reversal symmetry due to the formation of the novel fermion order.
Piezoelectric-driven uniaxial pressure cell for muon spin relaxation and neutron scattering experiments
2020, Ghosh, Shreenanda, Brückner, Felix, Nikitin, Artem, Grinenko, Vadim, Elender, Matthias, Mackenzie, Andrew P., Luetkens, Hubertus, Klauss, Hans-Henning, Hicks, Clifford W.
We present a piezoelectric-driven uniaxial pressure cell that is optimized for muon spin relaxation and neutron scattering experiments and that is operable over a wide temperature range including cryogenic temperatures. To accommodate the large samples required for these measurement techniques, the cell is designed to generate forces up to ∼1000 N. To minimize the background signal, the space around the sample is kept as open as possible. We demonstrate here that by mounting plate-like samples with epoxy, a uniaxial stress exceeding 1 GPa can be achieved in an active volume of at least 5 mm3. We show that for practical operation, it is important to monitor both the force and displacement applied to the sample. In addition, because time is critical during facility experiments, samples are mounted in detachable holders that can be rapidly exchanged. The piezoelectric actuators are likewise contained in an exchangeable cartridge. © 2020 Author(s).
Unsplit superconducting and time reversal symmetry breaking transitions in Sr2RuO4 under hydrostatic pressure and disorder
2021, Grinenko, Vadim, Das, Debarchan, Gupta, Ritu, Zinkl, Bastian, Kikugawa, Naoki, Maeno, Yoshiteru, Hicks, Clifford W., Klauss, Hans-Henning, Sigrist, Manfred, Khasanov, Rustem
There is considerable evidence that the superconducting state of Sr2RuO4 breaks time reversal symmetry. In the experiments showing time reversal symmetry breaking, its onset temperature, TTRSB, is generally found to match the critical temperature, Tc, within resolution. In combination with evidence for even parity, this result has led to consideration of a dxz ± idyz order parameter. The degeneracy of the two components of this order parameter is protected by symmetry, yielding TTRSB = Tc, but it has a hard-to-explain horizontal line node at kz = 0. Therefore, s ± id and d ± ig order parameters are also under consideration. These avoid the horizontal line node, but require tuning to obtain TTRSB ≈ Tc. To obtain evidence distinguishing these two possible scenarios (of symmetry-protected versus accidental degeneracy), we employ zero-field muon spin rotation/relaxation to study pure Sr2RuO4 under hydrostatic pressure, and Sr1.98La0.02RuO4 at zero pressure. Both hydrostatic pressure and La substitution alter Tc without lifting the tetragonal lattice symmetry, so if the degeneracy is symmetry-protected, TTRSB should track changes in Tc, while if it is accidental, these transition temperatures should generally separate. We observe TTRSB to track Tc, supporting the hypothesis of dxz ± idyz order.
Long-range magnetic order in the ~S=1/2 triangular lattice antiferromagnet KCeS2
2020, Bastien, Gaël, Rubrecht, Bastian, Haeussler, Ellen, Schlender, Philipp, Zangeneh, Ziba, Avdoshenko, Stanislav, Sarkar, Rajib, Alfonsov, Alexey, Luther, Sven, Onykiienko, Yevhen A., Walker, Helen C., Kühne, Hannes, Grinenko, Vadim, Guguchia, Zurab, Kataev, Vladislav, Klauss, Hans-Henning, Hozoi, Liviu, van den Brink, Jeroen, Inosov, Dmytro S., Büchner, Bernd, Wolter, Anja U.B., Doert, Thomas
Recently, several putative quantum spin liquid (QSL) states were discovered in ~S=1/2 rare-earth based triangular-lattice antiferromagnets (TLAF) with the delafossite structure. A way to clarify the origin of the QSL state in these systems is to identify ways to tune them from the putative QSL state towards long-range magnetic order. Here, we introduce the Ce-based TLAF KCeS2 and show via low-temperature specific heat and μSR investigations that it yields magnetic order below TN=0.38 K despite the same delafossite structure. We identify a well separated ~S=1/2 ground state for KCeS2 from inelastic neutron scattering and embedded-cluster quantum chemical calculations. Magnetization and electron spin resonance measurements on single crystals indicate a strong easy-plane g~factor anisotropy, in agreement with the ab initio calculations. Finally, our specific-heat studies reveal an in-plane anisotropy of the magnetic field-temperature phase diagram which may indicate anisotropic magnetic interactions in KCeS2.